Dutch EV charging trial shows peak congestion shift potential
Image courtesy Enexis
Dutch grid operator Enexis and Swedish power company Vattenfall have found in an EV charging study that at least half of charging peaks can be shifted to the evening and night, reducing grid congestion.
Enexis and Vattenfall coordinated what they are calling a large-scale pilot in ‘grid-aware’ charging at public charging stations in the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg.
The trial ran from November 2024 to March 2025, finding that, with limited impact for electric drivers, at least half of the charging peak can be shifted to the evening and night. The energy that is released in this way can then be used by households and companies.
The charging pilot is part of a broader strategy of grid operators, charging station operators, government and other stakeholders to manage congestion on the grid, which has been a running issue for years. The trial used almost 800 public charging stations (1,600 charging points) spread across nine regions in North Brabant and Limburg.
The aim was to create more space on the electricity grid at peak times by limiting the capacity of charging stations.
Commenting in a release was Provincial Executive Bas Maes (Climate & Energy) of the province of Noord-Brabant: “Society is facing a challenge in the coming years.
“While we are moving away from gas, we must ensure that – despite the limited capacity of the current energy grid – everyone has sufficient power. This requires creative solutions. Smart solutions such as these allow the available grid capacity to be optimally utilised.”
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The charging speed of the stations was adjusted during the trial based on the available space on the electricity grid and the number of electric cars charging at the same time.
During peak times, from 15:00 to 21:00, charging capacity was reduced. After 21:00, the available grid space gradually increased again, with full capacity available around 23:00.
In the trial, under a collaboration with the TapElectric app, users were informed about grid restrictions and could choose to opt out.
According to Enexis, the pilot shows that it is often possible to postpone use. During the night, there is enough power available to charge a full battery. Many charging sessions are still completed on time, without users having to stop charging prematurely.
The pilot is distinguished by its scale, with the adjustment of almost 800 charging stations on the low-voltage network having a significant impact on low and medium-voltage networks, which are in turn connected to the national high-voltage network.
Said Maarten Venselaar, portfolio director Mobility at Enexis: “The results of this pilot are promising and it is now important to scale up quickly.
“The electricity grid is filling up rapidly and grid costs are rising. In addition, the sustainable mobility transition is continuing at a rapid pace. The efficient integration of electric vehicles is necessary to make the energy transition possible. The entire chain is involved in this project: government, grid operator, charging station operator and electric driver.”
After this pilot, further expansion of grid-aware charging to all public charging stations that have been tendered by both provinces will be considered.
Enexis also wants to expand this approach to the rest of its service area (Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel). The aim is to apply such charging to all charging stations, where technically possible. This will only be applied if there is a risk of overloading the low and medium voltage grid. In the meantime, the collaboration partners are working on adding charging points from operators other than Vattenfall. Research is also being done into how electric drivers can be rewarded if they cooperate in grid-aware charging.
Said Alied Wessels Boer, director of Vattenfall InCharge: “Thanks to good cooperation between market parties and grid operator, we can create more flexibility on the electricity grid with smart charging solutions. And take into account the interests of the electric driver.
“We look forward to the further rollout.”
